Pastoral resources for women who have had abortions approved By Paula R. Kincaid The Layman Online Sunday, June 23, 2002 214th General Assembly Columbus, Ohio June 15-22, 2002 COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The 214th General Assembly has voted to prepare pastoral resources for women who have experienced abortion, but only after there was debate on who could be involved in the conversation. The assembly approved the following recommendation: "That the recommendations be referred to the Advocacy Committee for Women's Concerns in consultation with the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy. "1. Instruct the Office of Theology and Worship to prepare, in conversation with the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy and the Advocacy Committee for Women's Concerns and other Presbyterian Church (USA)-related groups, including Presbyterians Affirming Reproductive Options, Presbyterian Association of Specialized and Pastoral Ministries, Advocacy Committee for Women's Concerns, Presbyterians Pro-Life and other resource groups, pastoral resources for our Presbyterian congregations that are based on the knowledge that there are women and men in our local churches who suffer from adverse spiritual, emotional, psychological and physical effects of abortion and are in need of the compassionate and restorative ministry of the gospel. "Comment: The ACWC and the ACSWP are to research and assess resources currently or potentially available as specified in the overture and its attached rationale." A commissioner spoke against the committee's recommendation because Presbyterians Affirming Reproductive Options is actually related to the PCUSA. "I don't understand how they can work with Presbyterians Pro-Life," he said. Presbyterians Pro-Life is an affinity group made up of Presbyterians nationwide. The Rev. James Freeman of Arkansas Presbytery proposed an amendment, which was approved, to strike the original word "conjunction" and replace it with "conversation." He said he thought that someone needed to be responsible for producing the study. But, by the same token, he said, "We should not be caught up with whom is related to whom, as much as we need to hear what they have to say. That is why conversation is more appropriate." The Rev. Cynthia Reyes Fillmore of the San Gabriel Presbytery thanked the committee for its recommendation. "These people represent different points of view," she said. "I think it is the first time I've seen Presbyterians Pro-Life become a part of the conversation." She also reminded the assembly that the recommendation is asking for pastoral resources to be developed, saying, "Everyone should want to be in the conversation. Everyone should want to help." Another amendment, which was approved, added the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy and Advocacy Committee for Women's Concerns following the words "in conversation with." Committee chairperson Mary-Ruth Marshall urged the assembly to pass the recommendation. "The committee is passionately behind this overture," she said, and asked that it be done in "any way we can do it without talking turf or territory."

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